A French airstrike killed at least 19 civilians in central Mali in January, a United Nations report has said, contradicting claims by officials in Paris that the target of the attack was a gathering of armed extremists, reports The Guardian.
The accusation will further complicate international and local efforts to combat violent Islamist groups in Mali, which have grown in strength in recent years. It is also likely to fuel anti-French sentiment in Mali, a former colony.
The UN investigation was launched after French warplanes struck a target on 3 January near the remote village of Bounti in the unstable central Mopti province.
French officials rejected reports from residents of the village that the strike had hit a wedding party and said “dozens of fighters” from Islamist groups were killed in an intelligence-led operation. However, investigators from the United Nations mission in Mali, known as Minusma, reviewed evidence and interviewed more than 100 people, concluding that the reports of a wedding were accurate.
“The group affected by the strike was overwhelmingly composed of civilians who are protected persons under international humanitarian law,” said the report, which has not yet been published. “This strike raises serious concerns about respect for the principles of the conduct of hostilities.